The Pro Football Hall of Fame tailor doesn’t need to come to New York to gauge four novice players for the Gold Jackets just yet.
An NFL draft that’s supposed to revive the Jets and the Giants simultaneously begins Thursday. The two losing teams over the past five years (tie at 22-59) both have top-10 picks, which is extremely rare: only seven teams since 1990 have made two top-10 picks, and only one of those last 32 draft picks has included Two teams with top 10 picks.
Now, the center of the first round is a 30-mile stretch of highway and the possibilities are endless. What if the future Hall of Famer came to every team? What if one team or the other chose both and got two centenarians Pro Bowlers? One team can’t smell twice, right?
Here’s a shot of cold water.
The Post reviewed the last seven teams at the same Jets and Giants site and found that it was as likely – or even more so – to miss out on both choices as hitting on both choices. Of the 14 picks, two have won major singles awards at any one time, seven have made Pro Bowls and two are in the Hall of Fame (two active).
There is no perfect comparison for the Giants – first-year general manager and first-year head coach – so perhaps it’s no surprise that the decision-makers responsible for creating the picking chaos in the top ten failed to take full advantage of the excellent selections.
“It’s okay to have high expectations,” one longtime NFL executive said. “They should get two of their best players for the next 10 years. Especially the Jets, who spent several years under the same general manager.”
History indicates that if the Jets and Giants each get one elite player, it can be called a “win” and the second pick is the house money. Pessimists fear one team, depression two have five years of constant loss to blame.
Here’s a look at the last seven teams that made a pair of the top 10 picks.
2018 Browns: No. 1 QB Baker Mayfield, No. 4 CB Denzel Ward
General Manager / Chief Executive Officer: John Dorsey (second year); Coach: Hugh Jackson (third year)
Brown used 28 midfielders in 19 seasons prior to Mayfield’s arrival. He handled the franchise’s first playoff win since reincarnation in 1999, but it wasn’t as good as picking No. 7 seed Josh Allen. The Browns just traded a boatload of picks to replace Mayfield with Deshaun Watson. Ward, a two-time Pro Bowler, signed a five-year, $100.5 million extension to become the highest-grossing NFL.
rank: c
2000 Leaders: No. 2 LB LaVar Arrington, No. 3 OT Chris Samuels
General Manager / Chief Executive Officer: Vinny Cerato (first year); Coach: Norf Turner (7th year)
The mainstays of the franchise’s nine Pro Bowl picks were combined in a decade when Washington went to the playoffs twice. But both careers ended prematurely due to injury – Arrington after seven seasons (and a dispute with multiple coaches) and Samuels after 10. Samuels started 141 games all in the same city and has a border issue in the Hall of Fame.
rank: a-
2000 Ravens: No. 5 RB Jamal Lewis, No. 10 WR Travis Taylor
General Manager / Chief Executive Officer: Ozzy Newsom (5th year); Coach: Brian Bellick (Second year)
The rookies combined for nearly 2,000 yards of melee for a defense-led Super Bowl winner. Lewis ranked No. 25 in career dash races (10607) and was the 2003 offensive player of the year, but Taylor topped 42 goals and three touchdowns in just one of Baltimore’s five seasons.
rank: B
1997 Seahawks: No. 3 CB Shawn Springs, No. 6 OT Walter Jones
General Manager / Chief Executive Officer: Randy Muller (third year); Coach: Dennis Ericson (year three)
This is the gold standard. Jones spent his 12-year career with the Seahawks and is one of four Hall of Famers of the class. Springs spent the first seven of his thirteen seasons in Seattle, making the Pro Bowl and Seahawks to celebrate their 35th anniversary. They helped end 10 years of drought.
rank: a
1994 Colts: No. 2 RB Marshall Falk, No. 5 Treff Alberts
General Manager / Chief Executive Officer: Bill Tobin (first year); Coach: Ted Marchebroda (third year)
Falk is in the Hall of Fame for his years in the Rams, but he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year and lifted the Fog Colts to the 1995 Asian Championship match. He was traded into two draft picks during a wait in 1999. Alberts totaled four career sacks in 29 games before retiring due to injury.
rank: c-
1992 ponies: No. 1 DL Steve Emtman, No. 2 LB Quentin Correa
General Manager / Chief Executive Officer: Jim Irsai (ninth year); Coach: Ted Marchebroda (first year)
The only time in the history of the Big Four sports that one team made the top two draft picks was a huge disappointment. Emtman played 19 games for the Colts, ending each of his three seasons as an injured reserve. Kouriat started 77 matches over the course of six years. There is no Hall of Famers class of 1992.
rank: F
1990 Patriots: No. 8 LB Chris Singleton, No. 10 DL Ray Agnew
General Manager / CEO: Pat Sullivan (8th year); Coach: Rod Rast (first year)
Singleton started 26 games with the Patriots but was cut short in the middle of his fourth season following the arrival of Bill Parcells. Agnew never became a dominant passer but played his best after leaving the Patriots in 1995. The 1990 Patriots went 1-15 and shot Rust.
rank: F
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